


champagne dress girl

by aurumss



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Homophobia, jline are roommates, me: is terrible at tagging, nothing too strong but there's a few comments here and there, sana thinks she's straight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2019-09-02 13:39:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16788019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurumss/pseuds/aurumss
Summary: “So… you get a fake girlfriend to get your parents off your back, and I get a shot at the career I truly want.” Sana says after a moment.Jihyo just nods.Sana narrows her eyes. “This sounds an awful lot like prostitution.”“I told you, we won’t actuallydoanything. At most hold my hand in public or something. You can dothat.”Or,Jihyo needs a girlfriend and Sana wants to become a respected journalist. They figure they can help each other out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first attempt at something multi-chaptered so forgive me if i suck at updating this.
> 
> sahyo deserve more attention on ao3 please give them some love <3

The company-issued blackberry pings for the fifth time in one minute inside Sana’s clutch. She resists the desire to roll her eyes and continues her walk across the sea of what seem to be interminable wedding guests, trying to find a corner where she can text back uninterrupted. Past a gathering of old ladies in hats as ugly as they are expensive, and two pigtail-clad girls running around in a game of catch, Sana finds a small corner of the garden where a couple of off-duty waiters are taking a smoke break. As soon as it’s out of the clutch, the phone’s screen lights up with several unanswered messages, all from the same number.

**[12:42] Lee Hayoon**

_Minatozaki, I want hourly updates of this thing_

_I hope you know the huge favor I’m doing for you letting you take notes for me_

_Most interns wouldn’t even dream of this_

_So they better be good. No bs_

_Hello? Are you reading this?_

_Minatozaki_

_Reply now_

_Do you even want this job?_

Sana does her best to keep from chucking the battered blackberry to the ground and stomping on it with her high heels. Instead she settles for a deep breath as she begins typing back.

**[12:43] Lee Hayoon**

_Hello, Ms. Lee. I just got to the reception ten minutes ago, but I e-mailed you the notes on the ceremony as soon as I left._  
  
_Will be sending more updates as the day goes by, sorry for the delay._

She considers tacking on a smiley face at the end, but opts out. Her annoyance right now might be palpable even through emojis, and getting fired for a snarky-looking text is not how Sana plans on ending her day.

After Ms. Lee texts back a dry “ _Ok._ ”, Sana puts the phone back in the clutch and takes a breather as she looks around the garden. From her corner she has a pretty good view of the wedding reception, tables upon tables covered in white linens, among which countless guests mingle and laugh to the sound of a live string quartet situated in a small wooden stage under the tents. The rustic theme the groom and bride went for is just that– a theme. The mason jars are probably half of Sana’s monthly salary, the rusty-looking lanterns as centerpieces in each table the other half. Not to the mention the gift bags, which almost made Sana lightheaded when she overheard two guests talking about the five-hundred dollar champagne bottles they’d be leaving with, among other trinkets. Sana thinks back to the dress she’s wearing, bought on sale and with the tag tucked in over the collar, ready to be returned as soon as she can go back to the mall. The shoes she’d had to borrow from Mina, but their shoe sizes weren’t the exact same and the white heels had started to hurt.

Sana looks for a free chair around to sit in, and brings out a small notepad and pencil to her lap. She’s here simply as press, there’s no way she would have gotten invited to the wedding of one of Korea’s wealthy and powerful otherwise. It’s her second week interning for a sleazy tabloid, whose goal right now is to get gossip and drama out of a socialite wedding party. Although Sana is keeping her notes as objective as possible, she knows her boss will manage to exaggerate one or two events, creating some dramatic sibling rivalry or mistress story to plaster all over next week’s cover in bright yellow and red letters. Sana doesn’t care much, though, her name won’t even be in the article. She’s just an intern for now, and in the words of Ms. Lee, “the lowest of the low.” She’s just here taking notes for someone else’s article _for the experience_ , leaving the big part to the _real writers_ , Ms. Lee had explained to her in a very condescending tone. Sana almost thinks back to two months ago, a _if only she knew_ on the tip of her tongue. But she lets go of the thought quickly, she doesn’t want to get more upset than she already is. 

It’s a few more minutes and then food is being served, and Sana takes note of the big names attending the reception as they take their seats in their tables. The Jungs from the motor company, the Parks from Park Publishing, and a couple of American celebrities are all part of the guest list. Sana recognizes them from magazines and newspapers, and for a second she thinks about introducing herself. She snaps out of it as soon as she remembers she would have to give the tabloid’s name when the guests took notice of the yellow press pass around her neck. If she can help it, her name will never be publicly associated with the sketchy magazine.

And so Sana hangs around, grabs some pastries from waiters walking around with trays, and gets the contact information for a photographer so the tabloid can buy his pictures of the couple’s first dance and the cutting of the cake. By early evening she’s ready to leave, so she brings out the blackberry once more to text Ms. Lee. 

Sana is halfway through typing _Got all I needed, will be sending complete notes soon_ , when somehow she crashes into someone’s back, and all she hears is “Mother, I told you already––ah!“ before they’re both falling to the floor, Sana bringing down a waiter carrying flutes of champagne with her in an attempt to grab onto something. It’s a couple of seconds before she registers what has happened. Sana is on the floor, a mild throb on her left ankle and her limbs are tangled with someone else’s. She turns her head and next to her is another girl; short brown hair, dark eyebrows, and a furious frown on her face.

“What the–– is this champagne?” The girl says, sitting up, a large wet stain down the front of her cream colored dress. It’s not until then that Sana notices the small crowd that has gathered around them, and the waiter on the floor on her other side; his tray and broken champagne glasses littering the ground.

The words are out of Sana’s mouth as she stands up. “Oh my god, I’m _so_ sorry,” her cheeks burn. "I was looking at my phone and––“ 

“It’s fine,” the stranger interrupts, her tone indicating anything but. She swats away a young man making a meek attempt at pressing napkins on the stain of her dress. “I need to go to the bathroom,” she announces, and parts the small crowd around them to leave, her footsteps reflecting her mood.

Sana is left with the waiter in the middle of a circle of onlookers who pretend not to be interested. She gets a couple of dirty glances and eyes wonder down to the yellow pass hanging around her neck. She makes a feeble attempt at an _it’s all good smile_ , and bends down to help the waiter with the broken glasses. As soon as she reaches her hand though, the guy stops her.

“Don’t. You’ve done enough. I’ve got it.” he says dryly, and Sana is sure for a second that she will pass out from the embarrassment. She stands up once more and moves to leave crowd, her ankle stinging in the borrowed shoes. Once she’s out from under the tent, however, she notices she’s sticky and the dress is wet–– the dress she’s supposed to return to the store tomorrow is drenched in champagne. 

_Fuck._ Sana asks for directions to the bathroom from a waiter near the bar, and forgets completely that the girl she just crashed into is in there too. That is, until she walks in on the stranger cursing her out as she rubs furiously on the stain down the front of her dress.

“Fucking journalists… here just to get some gossip only… no fucking manners… the first time I wear this dress… and right when I was–” Short-haired girl is muttering to herself when she looks up and notices Sana is in the bathroom too. “Oh.”

“Uh, hi.” Sana starts. “I’m really sorry, again. I can get that laundered for you if you want.” _With what money?_ says a voice in her head, but she ignores it. Sana walks closer to the mirror and the sinks, getting some paper towels to try to fix her own dress too.

Short-haired girl just looks at her through narrowed eyes. She looks like she’s about to go off on Sana again, but then just rolls her eyes and drops the paper towels she’s holding. 

“Fuck it, it’s whatever. This dress is ugly anyway, now I have an excuse not to wear it.” Sana is shocked at her sudden change in demeanor, but she relaxes. For a second she was genuinely worried she was going to get sued by some rich girl for emotional damage. “At least you got me out of a fucking torture of a conversation.” She adds, resting her hands on the sink to lean forward and look at herself in the mirror.

And then the weirdest thing happens. Short-haired girl starts to cry. 

“Oh… um, I’m really, really sorry, I’ll get you a new dress, I uh–“ Sana moves toward the stranger, tries to pat her shoulder awkwardly. _What the hell?_

But then almost instantly the other girl straightens herself up and swallows her last cry, rubbing away her tears with her hands.

“No, it’s not you,” she explains, “god, I’m so sorry, this is embarrassing. But the day I’m having, and my fucking parents… whatever.” She turns to look at Sana, her voice business-like now. “Do you have mascara by any chance?”

For a second Sana is just stupefied, staring as her brain processes the rollercoaster of emotions she just watched this girl go through. But then her hands move silently to her clutch as she pulls out the tube of mascara to hand the girl.

“Thanks,” she says, and begins reapplying it on her eyelashes. “I’m Jihyo, by the way. Usually not this weird. Weddings are just annoying, I guess.”

Sana clears her throat, snaps back into reality. “Sana.”

“Well, thanks for the mascara, Sana.” She hands back the tube. “Your clumsiness was actually not the worst part of my day.” And like that Jihyo leaves the ladies’ restroom, champagne-stained dress and all, the doors swinging behind her.

Sana mutters a “fucking rich people” before she turns back to the mirror to assess the damage on her dress. Definitely not returnable like this. She starts to make calculations in her head for how she can make up for the money she spent on it when she hears the bathroom door swing open again, and Jihyo walks back in.

“You’re press, no? So you’re alone here?” Jihyo asks, getting simply a nod from a confused Sana. _Is she going to call Ms. Lee?_ But Jihyo just says, “Get a drink with me, then,” before walking back out. And for some reason, Sana follows.

Jihyo sneaks back through the guests, who seem to have returned to their conversations, any evidence of the accident already cleaned up. Some spare them a couple of glances as they notice the stains on the dresses, but their eyes have a lot less venom than before. Jihyo stops right in front of the bar, and after a few words with the bartender she gets handed a whole champagne bottle, unopened. Jihyo just grins, and then they’re back across the crowd, Sana still blindly following. For a second her brain wonders if Jihyo is taking her somewhere alone to smash the champagne bottle over her head or something. Right now, it doesn’t seem past her. 

Jihyo stops in a more isolated part of the large garden, a little area with a porch swing surrounded by carefully gardened ivy. She plops herself down on the swing, tapping the space next to her.

“I don’t bite,” Jihyo says, and gets to opening the bottle. Sana takes a seat, remarking the strangeness of this situation.

“Sorry, I just had to get out of there, I cannot stand a single guest in here. My brother and I used to put up with it together, but he’s in fucking Argentina now, so.” Jihyo begins explaining. Sana just hums in understanding. 

“What newspaper do you work for?” Jihyo asks after a while, turning to look at her.

“Oh, it’s not a newspaper. A tabloid magazine.” 

Jihyo stops her struggles with the bottle. “Are you here looking for gossip then? Tabloids swallow up these fancy socialite weddings.”

“Yeah, I know. I don’t care much for them though, I’m really just here because I’m an intern. My notes are very, very dry. No gossip, I promise.” Sana says, earning a small smile from Jihyo. She tries to keep herself from noticing how pretty it is.

“Well, that’s good. It would’ve been kind of embarrassing-–“ she grunts, trying to pop the cork, “would’ve been kind of embarrassing to read ‘Park Dongsuk’s daughter has a breakdown in a wedding bathroom’ in the headlines on Monday.”

Sana’s eyes grow wide for a second. “Wait, you’re Park Jihyo? As in Park Publishing?” 

Jihyo just smirks, still on the champagne bottle. “Yeah, why? Now you _do_ want to write a story on me?”

“No, not at all, I’m just surprised.” Then Sana just takes the bottle from Jihyo’s hands, tired of watching her take so long. “You really don’t know how to pop a cork, huh?” Sana grips the bottle using the skirt of her dress, turning the cork slowly until hearing the small _pop_. 

“Nice,” Jihyo concedes. Is Sana blushing?

“I don’t write stories, anyway. I just take notes.” Sana goes back to Jihyo’s last comment, handing the other girl the bottle. “I’m an intern, so.”

Jihyo takes the first sip of champagne. “Well, that kind of sucks, no? You doing the hard work for someone else to get the story.”

“I guess.” Sana shrugs. “But it’s not like I want to author articles in a tabloid, either, so…” She trails off. “I didn’t exactly study journalism to make up gossip from weddings.”

Jihyo laughs, handing Sana the bottle. “What _do_ you want to write, then?”

“I don’t know… I focused on politics and current events in school, I minored in political science. So I guess that. Kind of hard to get hired in a real newspaper without any references, though. I’ve only been in Seoul for a month.”

“Oh, why’d you move?” Jihyo asks.

Sana thinks about it for a second, but her answer is short, accompanied by a shrug. “Stuff.” She takes her first drink, tipping the bottle toward her face.

Jihyo simply says, “Cool.”

It’s quiet for a moment, the sound of the party music and guests distant and muffled. It’s dusk already and the night is cooling down. 

Jihyo is the first one to break the silence. “Well, I mean, I’m sure you could meet some editors here who could give you a chance. There’s some big names here, you know.”

“Yeah, but it’s not really ideal to introduce myself as an intern at a scandal magazine, right?” Sana answers with a dry laugh. Jihyo returns it, takes another drink.  
“Yeah. Not a good move.” 

It’s silent again for a beat and then Jihyo starts laughing, hard, and her eyes tear up at bit. Sana is confused but she giggles a little, the champagne making her giddy.

“God, I’m just remembering. I must have freaked you out in the bathroom, sorry. I really don’t care that much about the dress.”

Sana laughs along now, realizing the absurdity of it all, and for a moment, she feels lighter.

“I’m still sorry though, I kind of caused a scene.” 

“Whatever, the party was getting boring anyway.” Jihyo brings the champagne bottle to her mouth, “and I’m sure that if you hadn’t fallen on top of me the argument I was about to have with my mother would’ve been the scandal of the night.” She chuckles lightly.

“What happened?” Sana asks, the champagne and the growing darkness giving her the confidence to pry.

“She was trying to set me up with some idiot I don’t even know… it’s like every time I see her she finds someone else to annoy me with.” Jihyo pauses for a moment, but restarts with refueled passion. “And like, I don’t understand why they’re so desperate for me to marry someone, like, I’m only twenty-two, right? I graduated from college _last year_ for fuck’s sake.” She takes another swig from the bottle before passing it back to Sana.

Sana hums as she thinks about it. “Why don’t you get a boyfriend, though? Would they leave you alone?”

“Well, that’s the thing.” Another chuckle. “Boys aren’t really my type.”

“Oh.” _Oh._ “Do they know?”

“Yep. told them a whole two years ago. It’s like they pretend they didn’t hear me though. My mom thinks if she introduces me to a man rich enough I’ll stop being a lesbian or something.”

Sana doesn’t know what to say for a moment.

“That sucks.” Sana takes one more drink. “Like, you know, I’m not… but, I mean. I sympathize. Having your parents breathing down your neck to set you up with people you’re not even attracted to doesn’t sound nice.”

“You are absolutely right. It fucking sucks.” Jihyo stands up from the swing. “But, you were my night in shining armor today and saved me from that awful conversation so,” And Jihyo smiles again, offering her hand to pull Sana up.

“You’re very welcome.” Sana smiles back, taking her hand. “I should probably get home, I was on my way out when I very heroically saved you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I held you for so long.”

Sana dismisses her with a wave. “No, it’s fine. It was fun actually.” Jihyo's smile says she agrees.

“Well, bye. Hopefully when I get back to my family they’ll be drunk enough that they won’t remember they were introducing me to someone.” Jihyo waves, and turns around to join the party once more, half empty champagne bottle in her hand.

She’s not sure why she does it, maybe it’s just the bubbles getting to her head, but Sana stops her.

“Wait, can I get your number? I mean, for your dress. I know you said you don’t like it, but I’ll feel bad if I don’t at least get it dry-cleaned or something.” She explains after Jihyo’s quizzical look.

Jihyo hesitates only a beat. “Sure.”

And so Sana waves one last time, walking out of the wedding reception and to the bus stop, _Park Jihyo - Dress_ saved as a new contact on her phone.

\--

Sana wakes up the next morning to the grim reminder that she’s lost the money she spent on yesterday’s dress, and now she has to find a way to pay for the dry cleaning of a dress that’s probably worth more than a month’s salary. And then some. But still, she texts Jihyo.

**[10:23] Park Jihyo - Dress**

_hey, it’s minatozaki sana, champagne dress girl_  
  
_lmk when i can pick up your dress to get it dry-cleaned_

After hitting send, Sana lays on her bed wondering what drove her to offer Jihyo to clean her dress anyway. Jihyo had made it pretty clear she didn’t mind either way, and now that she knew who she was related to, Sana was sure Jihyo could get herself another identical dress whenever and just chuck the ruined one in the trash. _Stupid_ , Sana thinks. She’s about to text Jihyo once more, explaining the situation, when she gets the notification.

**[10:29] Park Jihyo - Dress**

_sure thing x_

With a groan, Sana gets herself out of bed and stumbles to the kitchen for breakfast. Momo is there already, bathrobe-clad, bent over a pan in the stove.

“Morning,” Momo chirps as Sana plops herself on their tiny kitchen table. “I’m making omelettes, Mina ran down to the corner shop to get some milk for the coffee.”

“Dope,” is all Sana says. Ever since she almost burnt down their kitchen– it had been two days after moving in, Sana had tried to cook her best friends a housewarming meal, instead ending up with a visit from the firefighters and a stern warning from their landlord– Sana stuck strictly to clean up and washing dishes, she was no longer trusted near the stove.

Mina comes back and it’s a slow breakfast, all three exhausted from working on Saturday, doing their best to keep themselves on a livable budget. They exchange stories from yesterday, Sana getting plenty of laughs for hers, Momo almost spits out her orange juice when she gets to the part where she walked in on Jihyo cursing her out in the bathroom. As their laughter fills the kitchen, Sana feels warmth spread through her chest. On days like this, living in a strange city with a shitty job and a shoebox apartment doesn’t seem so bad. 

Sana is finishing up the dishes as Mina vacuums the living room when her phone vibrates with a text from Jihyo.

**[11:53] Park Jihyo - Dress**

_hey can you meet me at this cafe in like an hour?_

_to get the dress_

_[ADDRESS]_

_also i need to ask you something_

_that sounds cryptic_  
  
_but you’re not gonna tell me until i’m there, right?_

_:D_

Sana finds Jihyo sitting in a corner of the cafe, focused on something on her phone. Jihyo doesn’t notice her until Sana sits herself noisily in front of her.

“Oh, hey, champagne dress girl,” she greets. “I saved you like that on my phone, by the way.”

Sana can’t help but return Jihyo’s smile. “Hey, what did you have to ask me?”

“What’s the rush? Let’s order something first.”

Even though Sana just had breakfast, she still ends up sharing a muffin with Jihyo and getting a second cup of coffee for the day. Once their plates are empty, Jihyo finally decides to speak.

“Okay, so.” Jihyo starts. “I found our champagne bottle conversation last night very enlightening.” She has a spark in her eye when she looks at Sana. “And I have identified two problems that pertain to us.”

Sana narrows her eyes. “And those are…?”

“Well, me, getting constantly set up by my parents with annoying men, and you, need to find somewhere to really kick off your career as a journalist. Yes?” Jihyo says matter-of-factly.

“Yes…" Sana agrees tentatively, not quite following.

“See, that’s where my brilliant mind comes to play. I have a proposal.” She sets her palms down flat on the table. “You can pretend to date me, like, be my fake girlfriend,” Sana almost chokes at this, “and in return I’ll get my dad to put in a good word for you in whatever newspaper of your choice.” Jihyo simply smiles brightly.

After getting no response, she continues. “It’s not as bad as it sounds, you don’t have to _do_ anything. Just come with me to family events, if people ask if we’re together say yes. We post one or two cute pictures online, and we’re set. My parents stop bothering me with unattractive men, and you get out of your shitty job.”

“Okay, but like, I’m not… I like guys.” Sana stutters out after a moment. “And like… no offense but I don’t really know you that well.”

Jihyo just rolls her eyes at this, unconcerned. “That’s why this is perfect. We barely know each other and you’re painfully straight, so there’s no way we’re ever going to actually like each other. It won’t be hard to keep up at all. Once my parents get it drilled in their heads that I’m never marrying a man, we can have our ‘break-up’, pretend to be sad about it for a while, and we’re sorted.”

Sana just fidgets with her hands for a while, trying to come up with an appropriate response.

“Well, look I… I appreciate it and everything and I wish I could help but… I’m fine, I can just work at the magazine for a while longer until I build up my resume and I’ll be good, I really don’t need your rich dad’s recommendation letter or whatever.” Sana tries to ignore that Jihyo looks slightly hurt at this.

“Okay, that suggestion was shitty of me, I admit.” Jihyo looks a lot less enthusiastic now. “But I was just thinking of how you said last night that I should just get a boyfriend so they would stop bothering me, and so I thought of this, and I thought you’d want to get something out of it too so… that’s the best I could come up with.”

Jihyo’s genuine worry tugs at something it Sana’s chest. She taps her fingers on the table, mulls it over.

“So… you get a fake girlfriend to get your parents off your back, and I get a shot at the career I truly want.” Sana says after a moment.

Jihyo just nods.

Sana narrows her eyes. “This sounds an awful lot like prostitution.”

“I told you, we won’t actually do anything. At most hold my hand in public or something. You can do _that_.” 

Sana bites her bottom lip, thinks about explaining this to Mina and Momo later. She’s not sure what gets into her, but whatever made her follow Jihyo around blindly with a bottle of champagne, and whatever made her ask for her number to dry-clean a dress she couldn’t afford, takes over her body once more, because Sana finds herself saying, “Okay. I’m in.” 

Jihyo gives her one of her award-winning smiles and hugs her from across the table. The “thank you,” she says against Sana’s hair sounds so genuine that Sana is almost sure, there’s no way she will regret this.

\--

An hour and a half later, after hashing out the details and going on several tangents over a second shared muffin, Sana and Jihyo finally leave the cafe. On the way out, Sana remembers.

“Hey, you never gave me your dress to clean.”

Jihyo just laughs, pulling Sana by the hand and out into the street.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so after ten years ch2 is heree
> 
> for some reason this one feels super rushed but it's here as my christmas gift to sahyo nation.

“Is this like a sugar baby situation?” 

Sana blushes furiously at Momo’s words. “No! It’s just like… we’re doing each other a favor. What’s wrong with that?” She has just finished explaining the agreement she’d made with Jihyo. They’re sitting in the living room, takeout containers open in their little coffee table while the television plays some cheesy romcom in the background.

“Sugar baby.” Momo repeats, teasing. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that, get her to buy us some decent furniture for the apartment.” Mina hits Momo in the shoulder playfully, but still laughs along to her comment.

“Well I think it makes sense,” she defends Sana, “I mean, you’re a super talented writer anyway, you deserve to get in there with the big names.”

“It’s gonna be super fucking weird though,” Sana says as she leans back on the couch. “Like, what if I have to kiss her or something? I mean she said we wouldn’t but still. And like, meeting her family? Some of the richest people in the country?”

Momo moves to sit next to Sana, putting an arm around her shoulder. “Poor baby, you might have to _kiss_ a girl!” At Sana’s deadpan stare, she continues, “look, you’ll be fine. You can always get out of it if you get uncomfortable with her family or whatever. And you’re gonna end up working in some big name place anyway because you’re just that good. This is just speeding up the process.” Mina nods in agreement.

Sana is about to thank them when her phone lights up with a call from an unknown number. She sees the area code and her hand stiffens, paralyzed for a second.

“Is that…” Mina starts, but Sana just hits decline before anyone can say anything else.

“How the fuck did he get my new number?” She wonders out loud.

“I mean, maybe it’s just a wrong caller,” Momo says in an attempt at comfort.

“No, it’s him.” Sana says resolutely, going through her phone. “And now he’s blocked.” She stands up and makes her way to the kitchen, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind her.

Mina and Momo stare at each other, unsure of what to say, but then Sana’s voice pipes in across the hallway, “Anyone want another beer?”

—

The three of them get through another six pack of beer before going to bed, Mina muttering something about how many calories each can comes with, Momo telling her to shut up, and Sana, buzzed and tired, just laughing at their bickering before dropping herself face-down on her bed.

The long day weighs heavy on Sana, and even though she feels exhausted her brain stubbornly refuses to let her sleep. She flops around her small twin bed, her head buzzing as she recounts the day’s events to herself. She thinks back to Jihyo in the morning, bright and adamant with her proposal, and Sana realizes that even if there was nothing in it for her, she would have still agreed. Jihyo might still be a stranger to her but something about her compels Sana to help her if she can. There are far worse things than pretending to be the girlfriend of a girl like Jihyo, she figures. Far worse things. 

As the clock nears one in the morning Sana’s brain dips into the mysterious call from a few hours ago, but before she can think too much of it and get stressed all over again, her phone pings with a text notification, startling her out of the overthinking hole she was about to get herself into.

**[00:54] Park Jihyo - Dress**

_hey gf ;)_  
_sorry to text so late_  
_but are you busy tomorrow afternoon?_

_hey_  
_dw i was awake anyway_  
_not really why?_

_we should do something_  
_like i feel like we need to get to know each other if we’re gonna pretend we’re dating_

_fair point_  
_i leave work around five_

_works for me_  
_i can pick you up if you send me the address_

_[ADDRESS]_  
_if it’s far i can take the bus or whatever_

_what kind of person doesn’t pick up their girlfriend from work?_

_okay fine_

_but listen_  
_you should probably change my contact name_  
_make it a little more believable_

_what should i write?_

_hm_  
_just a bunch of heart emojis_  
_all of them_

_forget i asked_

_WHAT_  
_it’s cute_  
_hello_  
_are you there_  
_…_  
_fine._  
_i’ll assume you just fell asleep and aren’t ignoring me_  
_goodnight sana_

Sana smiles into the phone’s screen in the darkness of her room, and even though she rolled her eyes at Jihyo’s suggestion, she goes to sleep with _jihyo <3_ as her new contact name. And for good measure, she decides, Sana adds her to her favorites list. Just to make it believable, of course.

—

The day at the office drones on slowly. Partly because there’s not much for Sana to do— Ms. Lee hadn’t managed to extract too many juicy scandals from the dry notes Sana had turned in, and so the stories were mostly recycled or on topics that not many people cared about so little effort was put in from the writers. Sana spent most of the morning running around getting extra cups of coffee, or else sitting at her desk doing some vague research on random things Ms. Lee asked her to look up. But then also, the anticipation of Jihyo showing up in a few hours to pick her up makes the clock move even slower for Sana. She realizes she’s never looked at the time clicking away in the corner of her computer monitor these many times in an hour before.

As Sana taps out her boredom with a pen bouncing on the edge of her desk, she decides that it’s not that she’s _excited_ to see Jihyo. It’s just that this whole situation is so weird and new, and she’s never even thought of dating a girl, but now she has to pretend to be in an established relationship with one as well known as Jihyo? Weird. Definitely weird. But then Sana remembers Jihyo’s funny quips in conversation and the lighthearted way she handles everything, and maybe even if this whole scam they’re pulling turns out to be a bit uncomfortable at times, at least Sana might get a nice friendship out of it. 

At some point Sana googles the Parks, just out of curiosity. She skims over the information she knows already; huge publishing company with branches all across the globe, and while the Wikipedia article goes in depth about the company’s history, Sana finds little of the family themselves. After a few minutes she finds an article, around a year old, about an auction sponsored by the company, their routine charity work, Sana assumes. But what she’s more interested in is the picture in the article, Jihyo with a guy that looks around her age next to her, and an old couple with their arms around each other. Her brother and parents, Sana guesses, and the caption under the picture confirms it. Sana’s eyes zone in on the CEO and CFO titles after the names of Jihyo’s father and brother. Jihyo’s is simply followed by _youngest daughter_. Sana looks around a little more, but it starts to feel slightly intrusive and there’s not much to find anyway, so she clicks off the screen and goes back to watching the painfully slow clock.

It seems like five o’clock couldn’t be further away when Sana’s phone lights up, the name _jihyo <3_ bright and cheery on the screen, letting her know Jihyo is parked outside waiting for her. It’s still fifteen minutes to five, but Sana picks up her things, gives Ms. Lee a flimsy excuse that gets returned with a curt nod, and is out the door and down the elevator.

Jihyo is leaning on the hood of her car, a glossy black Porsche with the top down. She’s donning a pair of expensive-looking sunglasses and a crisp white shirt tucked into straight black pants. She has her phone in her hand as she waits for Sana, who maybe stares a little too long before Jihyo realizes she’s standing in front of her.

“Oh, hey,” Jihyo says when she looks up. She pushes her sunglasses up through her hair and moves to open the passenger door for Sana. “Ready?”

Sana steps in, and for the first time, she’s a little intimidated by Jihyo. The fancy car and Jihyo’s professional look remind her of who Jihyo is, and how slightly crazy this whole _thing_ is. But then Jihyo turns on the car and some bubblegum pop song blasts accidentally, and as soon as Jihyo’s laughter rings out Sana forgets and relaxes.

“Fuck, sorry. I was just trying to destress after leaving the office,” Jihyo explains after she’s done laughing. 

“It’s fine, I love this song.” Sana says, laughing back.

“Well then, I guess we have a soundtrack for the drive. Let’s go get something to eat, I’m starving.”

—

Thirty minutes later they’re in the parking lot of a drive-thru McDonald’s, all the other places Jihyo had suggested Sana had never been to, and the ones Sana knew Jihyo hadn’t even heard of. 

“God, it’s been forever since I had McDonald’s. Clients don’t really suggest it much for lunch meetings,” Jihyo says in between french fries.

“You work for your dad, then?” Sana asks, realizing she hadn’t found anything about what Jihyo did in her short Google search.

“Yeah.” Jihyo starts, “I mean, not officially. My brother’s CFO, but a year ago he decided to go on some B.S. ‘self-discovery’ trip to Argentina, or something. So I’m doing his job right now, to prove to my dad I can be a helpful asset to the company or whatever.” 

Sana’s eyes grow wide. “So you don’t get paid?”

“I do, but on paper I’m an assistant. The money’s not the problem anyway, just wish I’d get a little more recognition.” Sana doesn’t know how to answer, so she just hums in understanding, a bit of bitterness in solidarity with Jihyo blooming inside her.

“But whatever,” Jihyo switches courses, “what’d you do at the office today? Any gossip I might be interested in?”

“Not if you want anything that’s true,” Sana picks up her milkshake, “I can’t believe that magazine has actual readers, honestly.”

Jihyo laughs, “They were like my guilty pleasure in high school. But anyway, you’re getting out of there soon, remember?” She winks, jokingly.

“Oh, I forgot. My knight in shining armor is saving me.” Sana answers back, returning Jihyo’s tone.

“We’re each other’s knights.” Jihyo picks up her milkshake, raises it a little in the form of a toast, “to saving each other,” she says.

“To saving each other,” Sana repeats, knocking their styrofoam cups together. The car erupts into laughter.

Sana stays in the car with Jihyo two more hours, long after they’re both done with their food and the sun is starting to set. It’s two hours of mostly meaningless conversation– favorite ice cream flavors and arguing over TV show characters, Jihyo pleasantly surprising her as they realize their music tastes are almost identical. It’s two hours where Sana’s chest hurts from laughing so hard, and she and Jihyo belt out lyrics to songs in a playlist called “Top 40: Sappy Love Songs Edition”. Sana begins to memorize the way Jihyo’s eyes crinkle every time she smiles and the little habit she has of pushing her hair behind her ear when she laughs. It’s almost fun enough to make her forget this is supposed to be prep for being a convincing fake girlfriend to Jihyo. Almost.

“Wait, can we get a picture together?” Jihyo asks after _Bleeding Love_ ends. “You know, so I can post it somewhere with a cheesy caption.”

“Oh, now? I kind of look like a mess.” Sana says, but retracts at the look she gets. “But fine, yes. What should I do?”

“Um just…” Jihyo moves closer to the passenger seat, wraps her arm around Sana’s shoulder. “I guess… look couple-y? I don’t know how to do this either.” 

She brings her phone, camera in selfie mode, closer to their faces, and Sana settles for leaning her head on Jihyo’s shoulder. The camera clicks, and Jihyo moves back to her seat to look at the picture, leaving Sana’s shoulder cold in the process.

“It kind of… sucks.” Jihyo says after a while. 

“What? Why?”

Jihyo passes Sana the phone, the two of them looking stiff and posed in the selfie. Sana’s own awkward head-leaning pose reminds her too much of the picture of a couple you’d find on a cheap mall catalog.

“Yeah,” Sana says in agreement, giving Jihyo back her phone.

Jihyo taps her fingers on the steering wheel. “Okay, come here, let’s try again. More natural.” She moves back close to Sana, this time keeping the distance to a minimum. She teases her hair for the picture and Sana gets a whiff of her shampoo, something fruity.

Sana isn’t sure what to do, so she opts for leaning her head again, but Jihyo makes a face in the camera as soon as she does. “Try to look… like, hopelessly in love.” She moves in closer, presses their faces together.

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“At least look like you like me. We look like mannequins or something.” 

And it’s really not that funny, but Jihyo has her arm tight around Sana and they’re close enough that Sana can now clearly recognize her shampoo by scent (some fancy brand she remembers trying a sample from a few weeks ago), and this whole _looking like a couple thing_ has made her a little nervous, so Sana laughs, loudly, at the comment, just in time for Jihyo’s phone to go _click_ as the camera goes off. The result is a blurry picture, Sana’s face broken in silent laughter as Jihyo’s eyes shine in one of her bright smiles, faces pressed against each other.

“Oh, yeah. Definitely hopelessly in love.” Jihyo says looking at it. Sana ignores the way her heartbeat speeds up a little. 

“I _am_ an excellent actress,” Sana adds, moving away from Jihyo and centering herself back on her seat.

Jihyo is adding a filter to the picture, _to make it cuter_ , she says, when her phone lights up with a call, her mother’s name on display. She mutters an “ugh” as she picks up, the sound going through the car’s bluetooth system.

“Hey, mom.”

“Jihyo, my daughter,” Her mother’s voice is loud through the car’s speakers, “how are you?”

“All good. Kinda long day at the office.” Jihyo turns to look at Sana, a small smile on her face, “but way better now.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Listen, your dad’s having his party this Friday, remember? Fortieth anniversary of working in the company.”

Jihyo’s tone turns sour quickly, “Oh, right.” 

“You’re coming, yes?”

“Uh, actually, I kind of forgot and—“ Jihyo stops, suddenly, turns her head to Sana really slowly. Her eyes sparkle with the mischievous look Sana knows a little too well by now. “Actually, never mind. I can totally go. I can bring a plus one right?”

“Oh, yes, but if it’s your friends they all got an invitation—“ 

“No, it’s not a friend. I kind of… want you guys to meet someone.” 

“Oh, really?” Jihyo’s mother’s voice is clearer, like she’s moving closer to the receiver in interest. “Is it serious?”

Jihyo hesitates for a second, but Sana gives her a nod. “Yeah, yeah it is. _She’s_ wonderful,” Jihyo adds, with a pointed look at Sana. 

Jihyo’s mother starts again, her tone sharply different now. “Ah, it’s a— well, honey, you see your father’s friends are all going to be here and for a first meeting of your um— _friend_ , I don’t know if—“ But Jihyo doesn’t let her finish.

“We’ll be there, mother! With my _girlfriend_. It’s going to be great. See you.” And she taps the red hang-up button, the car going silent again.

Sana clears her throat, the new realness of the situation hitting her straight in the face. 

“So. You’re meeting my parents on Friday,” Jihyo says. Sana just swallows.

—

**[10:04] jihyo <3**

_i’m sending a car to pick you up at 7:30  
i’ll meet you at the place _

Jihyo had texted Sana the morning of the party, and now that she is on the bus on the way home to get ready, she feels nerves tug at the pit of her stomach. Sana hadn’t seen much of Jihyo the rest of the week, they’d gotten coffee on Wednesday and Jihyo had called her to confirm she could go to the party the day before, but aside from that Sana almost feels like she has forgotten what it’s like to be around Jihyo, and now she’s going to have to pretend to be her very committed girlfriend in front of her family and friends.

Momo and Mina insist that it’s going to be a breeze, _just hold hands and smile a lot in the homophobes’ faces_ , they had said that morning at breakfast. And Jihyo had ensured her that her own friends were going, so it wasn’t going to be them against the world. But still.

Sana gets home to an empty apartment, Mina and Momo still at work. She walks into her room to find a white, label-less box on her bed. A yellow post-it in Momo’s messy scrawl lays on top of it.

_someone’s driver dropped this off for you but you weren’t home so i looked. sorry not sorry. sugar baby theory confirmed btw._

Sana opens the box to find a long wine-red dress inside together with some matching heels, and despite the lack of a note she knows exactly who it’s from. Reading the label leaves her a little lightheaded, Momo’s sugar baby comment making sense now. She doesn’t even dare check the shoe brand for fear of fainting.

**[16:46] jihyo <3**  
  


_found the dress_  
_i can’t believe you_

_oh hey_  
_do you like it?_  
_you don’t have to wear it it’s just that i wasn’t sure if you had something_  
_i kind of guessed your size_

 _no i love it_  
_it’s kind of expensive though_  
_i don’t know if i can accept it_

_don’t be dumb_  
_wear it tonight_

Sana braves through three different hairdo tutorials on Youtube and half-attempts a makeup video with her limited supplies, and the end result is mostly satisfying. Goes along nicely with the dress, at least. 

The car picking her up is right on time, a man’s voice ringing through the intercom at seven-thirty on the dot. Sana walks down to the lobby to find a shiny black limo together with a driver that looks like he just stepped out of a movie, white gloves and all. 

“Miss Minatozaki?” He asks, opening the door for her. Sana swears she’s dreaming as she steps inside.

The party venue is beautiful. Sana steps out of the limousine into a hotel lobby with ushers who show her to the ballroom, a marble hall with a cavernous ceiling and a floor peppered with intricately-decorated columns. Guests are already milling about, and Sana is sharply reminded of the wedding. _Just a week ago_ , she thinks. It feels like a month has passed. She’s about to pull out her phone to ask Jihyo where she is, when she hears a familiar voice behind her.

“Excuse me, that dress is beautiful. I was wondering where you got it?”

Sana turns around to find a radiant Jihyo smiling at her.

“My girlfriend got it for me,” Sana teases. “Looks good, don’t you think?”

Jihyo scans her with her eyes, a little glimmer appears that’s gone in a second. “Absolutely.”

Jihyo threads their arms together as they insert themselves into the ballroom, giving small smiles and nods at the guests she recognizes.

“Hey, I was thinking,” Jihyo starts, “my parents invited a bunch of people, I could definitely start introducing you. Maybe even get you a better internship so you can get Ms. Lee off your ass.” Sana notices that Jihyo remembered her boss’s name. 

“I mean, yeah totally.” Sana scans the crowd, her eyes betraying her nerves, “not to sound self-centered, but why do I feel like we’re getting stared at?”

“Because we are. Word kind of got around after I posted our picture.”

“Right.”

Just as Sana finishes saying this, a girl with bright blonde hair saunters up to them, her smile bright as she hugs Jihyo. 

“You look amazing!” The blonde says holding Jihyo by the shoulders as she assesses her outfit. Sana agrees silently in her head.

Jihyo just smiles and moves to introduce them, “Sana, this is Jeongyeon, best friend since forever. Jeongyeon, this is Sana.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sana says, trying a smile.

“You’re so sweet!” Jeongyeon exclaims, giving Sana a hug of her own. 

“Actually,” Jihyo says, looking behind Jeongyeon at someone calling for her, “you guys get to know each other, I have to go talk to someone.”

“Oh, but–“ Sana starts, but Jihyo is gone before she can finish.

“Let’s get a drink,” Jeongyeon says, pulling Sana by the arm towards the bar. She gets them both gin and tonics, _strong ones_ , she tells the bartender.

“So… how long have you known Jihyo? You guys kept this whole relationship super low-key, huh?” Jeongyeon asks, curiosity in her gaze.

“Oh uh… yeah, she didn’t want to say anything but it’s been a, uh… couple of months?” Sana finishes her sentence sounding like a question, and Jeongyeon’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Weird, I could’ve sworn Jihyo was dating this other girl just two weeks ago, we went out together once and everything. Can’t believe she never mentioned you.”

“Oh well, yeah, you know…” Sana hesitates a little too long, and a smirk grows in Jeongyeon’s face before she explodes in laughter.

Sana has a second to be confused before Jeongyeon gives her a playful slap in the arm and explains, “I know about the whole thing, dummy,” relief floods over Sana, “she explained it to me before she asked you. Seems like a fan fiction plot to me but if you’re both okay with it…” Jeongyeon shrugs, takes a sip of her drink.

“Well, yeah, it’s pretty crazy. I guess I don’t mind it if it works out for the both of us.”

“Good philosophy,” Jeongyeon grants, raising her glass to Sana’s. “Honestly, her parents aren’t too happy about it but it’s gonna stop the whole looking for a potential husband thing, and that’s what Jihyo wants. And I don’t mind anything that gives those two a hard time, so count on me to keep the whole fantasy up.”

“Thanks, I just hope they aren’t too bad to her for it. Feels like I’m getting the better end of the deal.” 

“They’ve been giving her a hard time since forever, if you ask me this is the perfect way to get back at them. She’s never had a serious girlfriend before so they could mostly ignore the fact that she was never getting a husband, but now…”

“Yeah.”

There’s a small silence as they both sip their drinks quietly, but Jeongyeon notices the small frown on Sana’s face and starts back up again.

“Look, don’t feel guilty or anything, Jihyo’s kind of badass. With her job too, and the way she gets treated in the family company, she can handle anything. This was her idea, anyway.”

Sana perks up as she remembers, “Oh, yeah, she told me about that. She’s doing the work of a CFO, no? But gets paid like an assistant or something?”

Jeongyeon nods, her brow furrowing. “Don’t even get me started on that. She graduated top of her class at the best university in the country studying economics and finances, and gets an assistant job while her brother who almost got kicked out three times because of grades gets the CFO position. Just to dump it two weeks in talking about ‘finding himself’ in South America, leaving Jihyo to pick up the slack with no change of title.”

Sana’s brain races with this new information, the anger she had felt in behalf of Jihyo before intensifying. She understands Jeongyeon’s dislike of Jihyo’s parents even more now.

“Well then, I guess I’ll do my best to give them hell,” Sana says.

Jeongyeon’s face lights up in a smirk, “I like you,” she says.

Sana is about to say something else, when she hears someone clinking a spoon against a glass. A tall, regal woman is standing up on a little podium in the middle of the hall, beckoning the attention of the guests. 

Jeongyeon leans closer to Sana, speaking quietly this time, “I have to go talk to someone, I’ll tell Jihyo to come find you.”

Barely a minute after she leaves and Sana loses her in the sea of guests, Jihyo comes up to her from the other end of the room, a strange fire in her eyes.

“Hey, what’s up?” 

“Oh nothing. I just had a very interesting conversation with my dad.” Is all Jihyo gives as an explanation. Sana is about to ask more, when the podium woman starts speaking.

“Thank you all so much for being here to celebrate with us my husband’s fortieth anniversary as CEO of Park Publishing,” _So this is Jihyo’s mother?_ “We are so excited to have so many wonderful friends and family to celebrate his legacy. If you don’t mind, my husband would like to say a few words of his own to thank you himself.” She steps down, and an older man, dressed crisply in a black suit takes her place, his own glass in hand.

“As my wife already said, I am incredibly grateful to have you all here. As you all know, these past four decades in the family business have been incredibly prosperous and I hope we can continue this way. I am very proud of the work I and everyone that is part of Park has accomplished. But all good things must come to an end, and we have to turn over to new leaf at some point.” 

The room stills at these words, and Sana realizes the magnitude of whatever Mr. Park is about to announce. 

“For this reason, on my own fortieth anniversary, I am announcing my official retirement from my position.” A few collected gasps are heard around the hall, “I will be completing some business over the following month or so, but soon I will announce, together with the Board, my successor. I am incredibly grateful for the years this business has granted me, and look forward to this new step. Thank you all very much, once again.”

The hall fills with clapping as Mr. Park leaves the podium. Sana turns around to face Jihyo and finally gets her explanation for Jihyo’s excitement. 

“Wait, is it— are you the new CEO?” Sana asks tentatively.

“No— I mean, not yet. My dad told me about this just two minutes before he went up there. But I talked to him and he said the Board has made their decision already and it’s going to be someone who has worked high up in the company for a while, someone who has shown themselves worthy of the position, or whatever.” Jihyo gives Sana a smile that reaches her eyes, “I don’t know how to explain it but something about the way he said it… I think it’s me.”

“Oh, I’m so happy for you!” Sana says, giving her a tight hug before she can think about it. Jihyo stills for a second at the unexpected gesture, but after a millisecond returns it just as strongly.

Sana pulls back, her smile just as big as Jihyo’s now, genuine pride blooming in her chest. “You totally deserve this, I’m sure you’ll get it.” 

“God, I hope so…” Jihyo perks up as she remembers something, “hey I should introduce you to my parents, right? Let me go get them, wait a sec.”

When Jihyo turns around to go find them in the crowd, Sana’s phone rings in her clutch. She’s about to text Mina and Momo that she’ll update them later, when she sees the caller. Unknown number. Again. She feels the blood drain from her own face just as Jihyo comes back, the older couple in tow.

“Hey, you good?” Jihyo asks, quietly, noticing Sana’s face as she stares at the screen.

“Yeah, it’s nothing.” And she sends the call to voicemail and looks up with a plastered smile on her face, because the two people she just saw speak at the podium are now standing expectantly in front of her. 

Jihyo looks concerned, but schools her expression back as she introduces them. “Mom, dad, this is Sana, my _girlfriend_ ,” Jihyo stresses the last word, and Sana doesn’t fail to notice the way Mrs. Park’s eye almost twitches. "Sana, these are my parents.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Sana says thrusting her hand forward to shake it. They both ignore it.

“Likewise,” Mr. Park says, his expression saying the opposite. 

“Okay, well. I just wanted to introduce you two.” Jihyo chimes in, noticing the tension. “Sana and I are _super_ happy together.”

“Hmm.” Mrs. Park says, a strained smile in Sana’s direction before she directs herself to Jihyo, “well, if we’re done here, there’s someone that I wanted to introduce you to, the son of one of my friends… he must be wandering around somewhere…” Mrs. Park begins to scan the crowd behind her, and Jihyo just looks at her incredulously, acting as if the last five minutes hadn’t happened. 

“Well mom, Sana and I don’t have too long we kind of have to get going—“

“Oh, it’ll just be two minutes. I’m sure Sana can wait.” Mrs. Park grabs her daughter by the shoulder with one hand and the other she intertwines with her husband’s, leading them off into the crowd without a last acknowledgement of Sana.

Jihyo turns back to look at her apologetically, but Sana just nods and mouths an _it’s OK, I’ll wait_ , as Jihyo gets carried away by her parents. 

Sana sits down at a table to wait for Jihyo, scoffing at her parents’ attitude. She takes out her phone and the Missed Call notification stares her in the face. It might not even be who she thinks, she reasons. It’s probably just a wrong number, but she gets that feeling in her gut again, and almost goes to text Mina and Momo about it, stopping herself before she can worry them unnecessarily. 

Starting over in Seoul was supposed to fix all of this. Apparently her problems seem to want to chase her across countries too.

She considers blocking this number too, but then decides it’s just paranoia and leaves it alone. Before she can think twice of it, she spots Jihyo walking back to her, a hurried air in the way she walks. Her eyes are wide as she gestures for Sana to stand up.

“We have to get out of here. Apparently my parents are fucking deaf or something, they literally just tried to set me up again.”

“What? What’d they say?” 

“I mean, they weren’t as obvious as the other times, but my mom was very careful to tell me about how this Donghyuck guy is a lawyer, and so, so, successful for his age,” Jihyo says in a voice that is a surprisingly accurate imitation of her mother’s. “The only thing the guy was doing was stare down my cleavage and didn’t utter a single intelligent word, but, whatever.”

“Fuck, they’re worse than I thought.”

Jihyo nods in understanding, “Way worse.” She looks around behind her, trying to avoid her suitor. “Listen, I know I didn’t get to introduce you to any newspaper people, but it would really suck if I get stuck talking to that guy again. Do you mind if we leave?” 

Sana has to remind herself she was here partly to network for herself too, before she dismisses Jihyo’s concerns immediately, “No of course not. Let’s go. Knight in shining armor, remember?” She grins.

Jihyo’s face is nothing but gratefulness, and they begin to make their way back out the hall.  
“Let me call the driver, we’ll stop at your house to drop you off. I’ll just have to text Jeongyeon goodbye.”

“Okay,” is all Sana says, a little surprised at how Jihyo grabs her hand as they exit to the lobby, before she reminds herself they are supposed to be very much together and very much in love.

They wait in the sidewalk for a few minutes before the black limo that picked Sana up shows up in the curb, the now familiar driver stepping out to open the door for them. Jihyo is about to step in, Sana right behind her, before she turns around unexpectedly to face Sana.

“I just wanted to say, thank you so much for tonight, again. And I’m sorry again for not holding up my end of the deal, I’ll make sure to get a good reference letter sent out soon.”

Sana smiles, warm at Jihyo’s heartfelt apology, and about to tell her it’s no big deal before Jihyo’s eyes widen and her eyebrows lift themselves to her hairline. “What’s wrong?”

“Okay don’t look behind you, but that Donghyuck guy is walking out right now, I think he’s looking for me.”

“Fuck.”

“Fuck indeed.” Jihyo rolls her eyes in annoyance, and then looks back at Sana, her gaze pleading. “I know this wasn’t part of the deal but can you do me a favor? This guy is a handful and I really can’t stand another conversation with him right now.”

“Yeah, sure, what do you want me to do?”

Sana barely finishes her question before Jihyo is has her hands on the side of her face, pulling her closer before planting a kiss on her lips. Sana has a second to freak out before Jihyo says, lowly, “Make it believable,” and then kisses her again. Jihyo leans back against the car, and Sana lets herself place her hands on her waist, turning her face slightly to better the angle. The only thing she can think of is how soft Jihyo’s lips are, and when she closes her eyes she tastes lip gloss, feels her insides turn to putty.

Sana almost loses herself in the kiss when Jihyo opens her eyes again and looks behind Sana’s shoulder. Sana is dazed, but turns around to find a man in a blue suit walking back inside the hotel lobby, a silent curse on his lips.

“Thank God.” Jihyo says, leaning back against the car with a sigh of relief.

Sana is a little too overwhelmed as she looks at Jihyo’s kiss-red lips, and doesn’t know what to say before Jihyo speaks again.

“Sorry, that was way over the line, I just really wanted to get out of that.”

“N-no, it’s fine. It was fine.” Sana stutters. She can feel her heartbeat in her throat.

“Shall we go?” Jihyo asks, turning back around to enter the car.

She has to call out to Sana twice before she regains her focus and follows Jihyo inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so.. there u go.
> 
> i hope you liked the ending, i kind of got my heart broken this weekend so i was in the mood for something sappy ehe
> 
> as always leave me ur Thoughts and Concerns i love reading comments


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes it’s been a while yes i suck at updating please don’t murder me
> 
> i think i wrote 75% of this in one day and barely revised so i hope there’s no major errors~
> 
> heres 2 all the sahyonators i hope u enjoy

Sana’s lips burn. It’s been a week, but for some reason she keeps remembering the kiss at the weirdest times. It wasn’t even that good. Or that long. Three, four seconds tops. And honestly, the lip gloss was kind of sticky and a little too sweet. And it’s not like—

“Sana? Are you listening to me?” Sana rears back into reality to find Jihyo staring at her expectantly from the driver’s seat of her car. She has a milkshake in her hand and it seems her rant about some snarky coworker is done.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. I got distracted for a sec. But uh…” Sana does her best to remember what Jihyo had said. “I think he’s just jealous. Didn’t you say he graduated from the same school as you? He’s just pissed you did better than him, and now that he works for you he’s just being rude because he’s petty.”

“The thing is he technically works under me? If I’m the CFO? But I of course don’t have the _official_ title so he refuses to pay attention to what I say.”

Sana nods in sympathy, she’s learned to keep herself from getting too angry whenever she’s reminded of Jihyo’s status in her family’s company.

“Well, whatever. You’re getting promoted soon and it’s gonna be official and everything. So he’ll have no choice but to listen to you.” 

Jihyo takes a cautious sip of her milkshake. “Yeah, whatever.” She’s quiet for a while as she stares at her own reflection on her rearview mirror. “Oh, hey,” she turns back around to face Sana, “I wanted to ask, do you wanna come camping?”

Jihyo refuses to be deterred by Sana’s raised eyebrow.

“It’s a company thing. Like, a retreat thing? To encourage bonding or whatever? My dad is going with his associates, they’re taking their wives and husbands. So… I thought I could take you?” 

“Your dad’s company goes _camping_?”

“It’s not like fucking tents on the ground. It’s this fancy resort with cabins and a spa but it’s in the woods so they call it camping. So, do you want to?” Jihyo looks pleadingly at Sana.

Sana pretends to consider it. “How many days is it?” 

“Just four, it’s three nights. And we can get a single-room cabin to really drive it in for my parents. Like forcing them to see us together for four days is _really_ gonna make it clear.” Jihyo gives her a conspiratorial smirk, and Sana can’t help but return it.

“Pissing off your parents _does_ seem kind of fun.”

“Yes! That’s the energy. We’ll figure out a way to have fun, promise.”

Sana bites her tongue before _just going with you is fun enough_ leaves her mouth.

—

“Wait, you guys kissed?” Momo stares at Sana as she finally recounts the anniversary party to her roommates.

“Why hadn’t we heard this before?,” Mina says, adjusting herself where she’s sitting on the kitchen counter, leaning forward in interest. 

Sana sighs, “It’s more like she kissed _me_. And it was whatever. Just trying to avoid that guy that was looking for her,” she gives a nervous laugh at the suspicion-riddled looks she gets, “What? I’m serious.”

“Sure, that was the only possible way out of that situation. It’s not like you two could’ve just gotten in the car and driven away or anything,” Mina says with a grin, jumping off the counter as she saunters off to the fridge.

“Oh come on, it’s really not like that. Jihyo doesn’t like me. She knows I’m not into girls.”

“What’s that saying about spaghetti and being straight?” Momo asks, earning herself a snort from Mina and a death stare from Sana.

“Ha-ha, Momo, queen of comedy,” is Sana’s dry response, as she stands up from their little kitchen table to put her coffee mug in the sink. “Anyway, it’s gonna be over soon. I’m going camping with her family next weekend. I think that’s gonna be enough to like… settle it in for her parents. They’ll get the point and we won’t need to do the whole fake dating thing anymore.”

“Oh, vacation with the parents already? That serious?” Mina responds with a raised eyebrow.

Sana just rolls her eyes again and leaves the kitchen, before she can hear the next teasing joke coming from Momo’s mouth.

—

“Okay, so, we’re driving to the resort Thursday morning. It’s like a two-hour drive so we’ll have to pick up snacks… and a good playlist. You got Thursday and Friday off with your boss, right?” 

Jihyo’s voice rings through Sana’s phone, whose call timer says they’ve been talking for over an hour now. 

“Yeah, she was kind of super pissed, but, yeah. I got them off.” Sana replies, flopping backwards onto her bed, phone against her cheek.

“Oh, whatever, you’re leaving that stupid job anyway, remember?— Oh, fuck you, _asshole_ ,— sorry, I’m driving. But I’m so excited! We’re gonna have fun, I promise.”

“I am too. Seeing that sour look your parents make when they see me really makes my day.”

Jihyo’s laugh is warm on the other side, and Sana mirrors it through the phone.

“Thank God you’re coming, I’m really gonna need to laugh if I’m gonna be stuck with a bunch of corporate dicks for three nights.”

“Wait, what should I pack? Is it like, fancy?”

“Not really. Just bring warm-ish clothes and whatever pajamas you have, the cabins have heaters. And we can always cuddle if it’s still cold.”

Sana thanks the heavens Jihyo is not there to see her cheeks burn a bright pink. All she manages is a choked-out laugh in response.

Jihyo’s smile can be heard through the phone’s speaker, “You good?”

“Yeah, yeah. So uh, warm clothes. Sneakers, right? And I’ll get some snacks for the drive.”

“No, I’ll handle those. What you should do, though, is send me your resumé, so I can see who might be interested.” There’s a pause, and then Jihyo follows up, “you know, so I can hold up my end of the deal.”

“So business like,” Sana says lightly. “I’ll email it to you— hey, wait I’m getting another call.” The call tone rings over Jihyo’s voice. “I have to go, but I’ll see you Thursday, then?”

“Ye— oh wait, some dick is trying to cut me off, but Thursday it is,” Jihyo replies, except she takes a little too long to hit the hang-up button and Sana manages to hear her _do you even know what fucking blinkers are?_ , before the call goes silent.

Sana smiles to herself before picking up the second call and hearing her mom’s warm voice across the line.

“Sana, honey! How are things?” 

“Hey, they’re okay? This is a weird call.” Not that Sana doesn’t appreciate hearing from her parents, but they never call this late, and almost never on weekdays.

“I just wanted to ask, this kid called home asking about you, I found it weird. I don’t know, I was worried one of your friends was having trouble finding you or something.”

Sana feels the color drain from her face.

“What guy? Did you get a name?”

“I don’t think so… he said a friend from work, I think?” 

“Um, mom, did you tell him anything?”

“What do you mean? Sana, is everything okay?”

She clears her throat in an attempt to stabilize her voice before answering, “Yeah, no, everything’s fine. It’s just a friend we’re planning a surprise birthday party for, so we’re like, pretending to ignore him. I guess that’s why he called you guys.”

“All the way from Seoul?”

“Uh-huh. He’s a super nice guy, but um, it’s fine, the party’s tomorrow, so…” Sana knows how weird her lie sounds, she can almost feel her mother’s raised brows from miles away.

“Okay,” Sana’s mom pauses, as if considering whether to ask more. Sana almost sighs in relief when she changes the topic. “How’s everything else? Momo and Mina? Your job? You have to send me your columns!”

Ah, yes. The columns she’s not writing, and probably won’t anytime soon, since tabloid magazines are not big on political op-eds. Her mom doesn’t need to know that, though.

“I’ll send them over soon, promise! They’re not online so I’ll get printed versions for you guys.” The lie burns on Sana’s tongue. “Um, hey mom, Mina’s actually calling me now for this party-planning thing, I’ll call you this weekend, okay?”

She knows her mom’s well aware something is off from her tone, but all she ends up saying is, “Sure, good luck. We miss you!”

Sana’s _you too_ gets stuck in her throat before she hits the red button and kills the call.

—

Jihyo’s car pulls up in the street in front of Sana’s building, where she’s sitting in a bench with a duffel bag next to her on the floor. It’s a bright Thursday morning, sunny and clear, and Sana’s scuffing her shoes on the sidewalk when Jihyo lowers down her window to reveal her brighter-than-the-sun smile. Sana has no choice but to return it.

When Sana climbs in she’s greeted by an unfamiliar sight of Jihyo, instead of the office clothes Sana has become accustomed to seeing her in, now she just has on sweatpants and a hoodie, her hair up and face bare except for the Ray Ban sunglasses she’s sporting. 

“Morning!,” she greets, going in for a hug and the fruity shampoo scent is back. Sana hates that she remembers it from last time.

It’s a little early for Sana to return Jihyo’s enthusiasm, and Jihyo notices it, pinching her cheeks half-condescendingly before moving to start the car. “Aw, are you _tiwed_?” She says in a baby voice, earning herself a stare from Sana.

“Please never speak like that again. I’ll jump out of the moving car.”

“Pwease don’t,” Jihyo says in a pout, which quickly turns into a mischievous grin as she sees Sana silently shake her head at her as she cringes. “Your awful eye rolls aside, my car is super comfortable to nap in. You can catch some sleep if you want.”

Sana is about to say no, in the spirit of good co-pilot-ness or whatever, but thirty minutes of sleep sound heavenly right now, and Jihyo’s bragging about the comfort of the seat is not entirely wrong. She ends up dozing with her head on the window as they leave the city, something soft and low playing on the radio while Jihyo drives quietly. Something like bliss fills Sana’s chest as she falls asleep.

Almost an hour has passed by the time Sana wakes up, her eyes opening to the highway, already outside of Seoul and crossing a dark green forest. She turns to look at Jihyo, who hasn’t noticed she’s awake yet. Sana allows herself a few seconds to look at her, and in her half-sleepy state she notices how relaxed she looks, no tension in her shoulders, fingers tapping away on the steering wheel as she hums a song lowly. The sunlight bounces off the edge of her sunglasses and douses her in warm light, she looks soft and comfortable. She wears a small, unintentional smile on her lips.

Sana is about to say something stupid, like _you look pretty in this light_ , when her phone rings and startles her away from the window and turning Jihyo’s head toward her.

“Hey, morning. Good nap?” 

“Yeah, thanks. If only this thing hadn’t rung…” Sana stares at the phone screen still going off, and her throat constricts at the UNKNOWN NUMBER label flashing in it. “What the _fuck_ ,” escapes her lips before she can help it.

Jihyo reads the screen, shooting her a concerned look when Sana makes no effort to pick up.  
“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Spam calls, you know.”

Jihyo is quiet for a beat. “You sure?”

Sana sighs, thinks of dismissing Jihyo again. But driving through this woody road and an hour of sleep has relaxed her, and this sort-of friendship she and Jihyo have feels like it warrants an explanation.

“I, um… there’s this guy,” Sana starts.

“Well, that’s never good.” 

“Well, okay listen. We dated back home. For a really long time. I’ve known him since middle school,” Sana tucks her hair behind her ear as she fidgets. “But then I was in college, and about to graduate, and, I don’t know, I just wasn’t happy with him. I think we were just together out of habit, honestly.”

Jihyo hums for her to continue.

“So we broke up. Well, I broke up with him. And he was always a super nice guy, really. My parents loved him, he got along with my friends, too. And, I don’t know, I thought he felt the same. I mean, we were the most boring couple ever.”

“But?”

“Well… I, uh, was _really_ fucking wrong. I broke up with him and he lost it. Like, bawling in front of me, asking me how I could do this to him. Which okay, I get him being upset, but after he left that night, he got so weird. He followed me around school to talk to me, to get us back together, he asked my friends where I was all the time. He sent flowers twice a day to my house for a week. A month after we broke up.” Sana pauses, bites her lip.

“Yikes,” Jihyo says, turning from the road for a second to shoot her a glance.

“The thing is, it got worse. He would call me crying after I started ignoring him, he switched his class schedule so I’d be forced to be in classrooms with him.” Sana’s voice gets smaller as she goes on, “one time he lied to me, calling me at three in the morning, telling me he was on his roof and was going to jump off if we didn’t get back together.”

“What the fuck? Is that who’s calling you now? What did you do?”

“I went to him, of course. He was in his room, fucking comfortable as shit,” Sana brushes her hair back again. “God, it got so fucking bad. He started following me, following my friends. One time he saw me in a mall, with my _cousin_ , where I was buying Christmas present, and called me a whore for moving on from him. Like, in the middle of the store. He tried making up rumors, told people at school that I was a slut, he scratched my car up once. I got a job like, three months after we broke up, obviously never told him about it, but he somehow found out and showed up at work to try to talk to me.”

Jihyo looks seriously concerned now, “Jesus, what? Did you ever go to the cops or something?”

“We tried. I mean, my friends and I. But cops are fucking idiots, they just said something about him being heartbroken and laughed. So I did my best to ignore him but, like, imagine, we grew up together, went to the same college, we had so many friends in common. He knew everything about me and he got so hard to avoid. And he just kept getting creepier. So I graduated and blocked him everywhere, moved to my aunt’s house for the summer.”

Sana’s throat tightens, her eyes sting. She hates it.

“He fucking broke in. In the middle of the night, broke everything. My aunt and I were out for dinner until late, so we never got proof it was him, but I knew it was him. He left this ripped apart yearbook picture of me on my bed, wrote slut on it with sharpie. Very classy.” Sana tries and fails at a nervous laugh, it just comes out watery and her cheeks are marked by tears already. She’s trying to wipe them off when Jihyo slows down the car to the side of the road.

“God, no, don’t worry,” Sana tries saying, but Jihyo just shakes her head and moves to reach for a pack of tissues in the glove compartment.

“Uh, anyway,” Sana starts again after wiping at her eyes, “that was too much. He was getting involved with my family now, and when I saw my aunt’s face when we walked into her house like that…” her voice trails off. “I had to do something. I had this really good job offer lined up right after graduation, my family was so excited. And I never told them about my ex, I didn’t think it was much at first and then I didn’t want them to worry. So I talked to Mina and Momo, and we decided to move together. I changed numbers, got off social media. Told my parents the job offer had changed to Seoul. So uh… here I am,” she ends sadly.

The car is quiet for a while before Jihyo speaks. “Holy shit, Sana. I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” Jihyo’s concern is genuine, and despite her tear-stained face, Sana feels a little lighter. Jihyo’s the first person she’s talked to about this after her best friends.

“It’s fine. I’m good now, after moving. I’ve just been getting these weird calls lately, and my mom got one yesterday. So, I don’t know. I think somehow he figured out where I am.”

Jihyo just looks at Sana incredulously, still processing. “Is that why you have that shitty ass job now?”

“Yeah, I had to find something as quick as possible. Tabloid magazines were at least closer to what I want to do than a Starbucks barista or something.”

Jihyo is silent for a moment as she leans back in her seat. “I want to kill that guy now, oh my God.” 

Sana laughs a little, hitting her playfully on the shoulder. “Calm down, knight in shining armor.” Jihyo smiles at the comment. “I’m good now, okay?”

Jihyo looks hesitant, but still gives an “Okay,” back. She hugs Sana again, this time staying a couple extra seconds. “I’m gonna get you into the most prestigious newspaper I can now, I promise. You deserve at least that.”

Sana laughs again, this time more genuine. “Shut up, you’ve done enough. I’m sorry for spilling all of this out to you.”

“Don’t be dumb. We’re friends,” Jihyo says as she pulls back, her smile back on her face. She starts the car again, putting them back into the road. “Whatever you need, I’m here. Seriously. It’s not like you haven’t dealt with my shit already.”

“Well actually, I’m gonna deal with it in like, an hour?” Sana says looking at the clock in the car, “we’re seeing your parents as soon as we get there, no?”

Jihyo laughs, loudly, and nods. “Yes, you’re completely right.”

They drive a few more minutes in silence, both of them staring ahead in the road, but it’s comfortable and, despite everything, peaceful. Sana thinks that their sort-of friendship maybe isn’t sort-of anymore, and it feels good.

At some point Jihyo turns up the music player, and some bubbly-pop song plays loudly. Sana almost snorts when she realizes it’s the same one from the McDonald’s parking lot. They both burst out laughing, but still exaggeratedly sing along to the lyrics together.

“You promised road trip snacks,” Sana reminds Jihyo once the song changes.

“You are absolutely right, miss,” Jihyo says with a mock-wink. “They’re in a bag in the backseat, I think I bought half the candy aisle or something.”

Sana realizes she wasn’t really exaggerating, Jihyo has enough food for a twenty-kid elementary classroom. She starts rummaging through the contents before she gasps, loudly offended, as she pulls out one of the candy bags.

“You bought _licorice_?” 

“Of course, I love it. It’s my favorite candy,” Jihyo says nonchalantly.

“What is wrong with you? Licorice is the worst!” 

Jihyo lifts a hand to her chest, dramatically hurt, “Are you serious? I think I’m gonna have to fake break up with you now. We’ll get to the campsite, and I’ll have to tell my parents, _sorry, I had to ditch Sana on the way here, she doesn’t like licorice._ ”

“Not if I fake break up with you first, licorice is so gross,” Sana says, going along with Jihyo, a smile creeping up on the corners of her mouth. “You couldn’t pay me to eat it.”

“You weally wouldn’t? Not even for me?” Jihyo says, her cheesy pout and exaggerated baby-voice back as she turns to look at Sana.

“Stop that!” Sana says, bursting out into laughter as she throws the bag of licorice at Jihyo.

“Hey, watch it, I’m driving!” 

The sides of the car seem to reverberate with their laughter as they drive down the highway.

—

They get to the campsite a little later than planned, but greeting Jihyo’s parents is as awkward as expected, the sour expression accompanied by an almost eye-twitch whenever Jihyo says the word _girlfriend_. Sana gets introduced to more people, most of them older couples, some of whom she recognizes from the party, this time clad in more comfortable clothes and with considerably less layers of makeup on. Not all of them look completely scandalized when Jihyo introduces Sana, one lady even gives her a hug and what looks like a real smile.

The forest-resort looked fancy enough to Sana after they drove through its huge metalwork gates, but once they step into their cabin Sana gets reminded of who Jihyo is and what she’s really come for. An associates retreat for one of the largest companies in the country. Definitely not camping. The cabin is nicer than her own apartment back in Seoul, with polished wooden floors, a 70-inch television, and a white marble kitchen. She discovers, after inspecting some drawers, that they can request for a personal chef to come cook personalized meals for them. _Room service to the third power_ , Jihyo calls it. The bedroom is magnificent, the softest king-sized bed Sana’s ever laid on, and despite being in the middle of the woods, the room is surprisingly bright with a view of the greenery outside.

“How is this camping, exactly?” Sana asks, laying down on the bed as Jihyo starts to unpack her bag into a dresser.

“Well… we’re doing a bonfire tonight? Does that count?” 

Sana snorts, shoving her face into one of the expensive-looking pillows. “I could totally take another nap right now. This bed is heaven.”

“You can, I’m gonna go take a shower. Some people still have to arrive and we don’t have to get together until dinner tonight.”

“At that fancy bonfire? Where they probably burn hundred-dollar bills with expensive-ass champagne as fuel?”

Jihyo laughs and gives her a playful eye roll as she walks into the bathroom, “Yes, that bonfire. Take your nap, you’ll need all your energy for dinner with the executive board. Trust me, they’re exhausting.”

Forty minutes later, Sana is woken up by water droplets falling on her face. Jihyo stands over her, shaking her gently awake. She’s still wet from the shower, only a towel wrapped around her body, the white cloth contrasting with golden skin. Her hair falls wet around her shoulders and Sana feels eight-years-old when she blushes at the sight. 

“Sorry, I didn’t wanna wake you. But your phone’s texts are ringing like crazy.”

Sana grabs her phone from the nightstand to stop staring, and sees texts from Mina and Momo, asking her if she got there on time, if she’s okay, and could she _please_ confirm she’s not dead. Or in a real-life version of Get Out.

Instead of texting back, Sana decides to call them, pressing the FaceTime icon under Momo’s name. Maybe she can brag to them about the rich people’s version of camping she’s in right now. Momo picks up, looking flushed and wearing a ratty old t-shirt Sana knows she wears as pajamas, still in bed.

“Did you just wake up?” Sana says as greeting.

“Hello to you, too. And yeah, I don’t work until later tonight,” Momo says, turning to her side.

Jihyo pops in from Sana’s side, still in her towel to say a loud “Hello!” into the camera.

Momo immediately perks up. “Oh my God, hey! You’re Jihyo! I’m Momo. Nice to finally meet you. Even if it’s through FaceTime.” 

“Nice to meet you too. Thank you for letting me borrow your friend to torture her for the weekend with these people.”

“It’s totally fine, you can keep her. Mina and I get kinda annoyed with her anyway,” Momo says, laughing with Jihyo as Sana just sticks her tongue out at Momo.

“Oh wait, look at this, Momo.” Sana flips the camera to show off the room, the humongous bed taking main stage. “Are you dying of jealousy yet?”

Momo doesn’t answer the question, instead, she gasps, “Oh, there’s only one bed! This whole fake dating thing is not looking too fake, if you ask me.”

Sana blushes at Jihyo right beside her, but she just laughs along with Momo.

“The one bed is to make it believable,” Sana says for way of explanation.

“Right, of course,” Momo says in a mock-serious voice. “This is _so_ romcom tropey. I can’t believe it.”

Sana just sighs as she flips the camera back, “Shut up and just be jealous of my luxury camping, please.” 

She’s about to make another comment when she recognizes a pink pillow behind Momo’s head on the bed.

“Wait, are you in Mina’s room?”

“Huh?” Momo asks, looking confused. Or panicky. Sana can’t decide. “Oh, no! She just lent me some pillow cases, mine were gross and I forgot to do laundry.”

“Oh, okay.” Sana says, her eyes narrowed.

Momo is silent for a second, “Well, um, I should leave you to be fake girlfriends and stuff. And get ready for work.”

“Wait, already? I thought you didn’t work until later today?”

“Well, I mean, yeah, but. You know. I don’t wanna be late,” her smile is not convincing at all. “See you!” Momo says finally, hanging up.

The few seconds of confusion Sana has at the abrupt ending of the call get interrupted by a now-dressed Jihyo speaking up.

“So… your roommates are totally fucking.”

“What?” Sana asks, sounding more shocked that she’d like, looking up from her phone.

“I mean, _borrowed pillow cases_?”

“Momo does suck at doing laundry.”

“Just the weekend you’re gone from the apartment?”

Sana just stares at a very amused-looking Jihyo. “Wait… do you really think? Is my gaydar that bad?”

“I mean, it’s not like I know them personally, but maybe it’s something you should talk about when you get back,” Jihyo says with a shrug, trying to hide her smile at Sana’s slow processing of the whole thing.

Her eyes are saucer-wide when she says, “Oh my God, my roommates are totally fucking.”

—

Sana leaves the cabin with Jihyo a while later, walking together to dinner by the huge bonfire site the resort has set up. Almost exactly as she jokingly described it earlier, actually. Sans the burning dollar bills. That was possibly an exaggeration.

Jihyo introduces her to a few more people, she shares a few more curt nods with Jihyo’s mom, and they take turns sharing an obscenely large piece of roasted meat on a stick.

Jihyo goes to get them drinks at one point, but comes back with an older man, who she seems to be having a really stimulating conversation with. When they get back to Sana, Jihyo gives her an excited smile as she squeezes her by the arm.

“Sana, here’s someone I want you to meet. This is Kim Jaehyuk. He’s the Editor for one of the newspapers under Park Publishing, a longtime family friend. Mr. Kim, this is Minatozaki Sana.”  
Sana shakes his hand, sneaking a wide-eyed glance at Jihyo for springing this on her.

“Jihyo was kind enough to send me your resumé earlier this week,” Mr. Kim starts, “I was impressed, graduating early and with honors in one of the best schools for Journalism in the continent. And with three internships under your belt already.”

Sana feels her cheeks heat up, “Oh, thank you very much, sir. I’m very passionate about this career.”

“I can definitely tell,” he flashes her a blinding grin. “I was thinking, someone as savvy and young as you would definitely be an important addition to our group of journalists.”

“Oh, wow, uh, really?” Sana feels like she might choke on her own spit any second.

“Yes, I mean, you would start off as an apprentice under one of the best investigative teams we have in the country, really get to know the industry. And well, you would have so many opportunities to move up, but you would start as a salaried employee from the beginning, of course.”

Sana feels like her chest is about to burst.

“I— I would love to, Mr. Kim. That sounds incredible.”

“Well, listen, I don’t want to talk business during a retreat like this, but once we’re back in Seoul my secretary can contact you to discuss any opportunities and details, if that’s alright with you.”

“That would be more than alright, of course,” Sana has to keep herself from shouting for the sake of professionalism, “Thank you, Mr. Kim.”

He just gives her a small smile and a nod, “I look forward to working with you,” he says, and turns around to rejoin the rest of the guests.

Sana has to stand there for a couple of seconds to confirm the past few minutes were not a dream. The first thing she does is turn around and wrap Jihyo in a bear hug, laughing in each other’s ears. 

“Holy shit, did that just happen?”

“It did!” Jihyo giggles with glee, “Oh my God, I’m so happy for you. I was so ready to butter him up so he’d like you, but he was actually really impressed by you! He couldn’t believe it when I told him you were at a shitty tabloid right now where they don’t even let you write.”

Sana still feels speechless. “You’re incredible, thank you!”

“There’s nothing to thank me for,” Jihyo says with a playful slap to Sana’s shoulder. “It was all you. Plus, I’m just holding up my end of the deal,” she adds with a grin.

“Knight in shining armor,” Sana mutters.

“Indeed,” Jihyo finishes with a fake curtsy that makes them both burst into laughter.

“Hey, wanna take a walk? S’mores aren’t for another thirty minutes,” Jihyo says after a while.

Sana looks wary at first, staring into the darkened woods, but Jihyo just rolls her eyes at her.

“Wait, are you scared of the dark?”

Sana looks away, half-embarrassed, “No! But it’s the forest!”

Jihyo just shakes her head and grabs Sana by the hand, leading her down a little path into the trees. 

“Come on, it’s fun. I’ll protect you,” she says with a laugh.

They walk side-by-side down a narrow dirt path, arms brushing as they move in silence. After Sana gets used to the cricking of bugs and casual rustling of leaves from the wind, she finds that Jihyo is right, and it is kind of enjoyable. But maybe it’s just the company.

Jihyo breaks the silence after a few minutes, when they can’t hear the chatter of the guests behind them anymore.

“Hey, I never apologized for kissing you after the party. It was super unnecessary, and I promised we wouldn’t do any of that.”

Sana is caught off-guard by the apology, “Oh, no, don’t worry. It was fine. I am your fake girlfriend for a reason,” she says, her smile audible.

“Yeah. Thanks for being cool with it, straight girl,” Jihyo elbows her playfully.

“I’m cool!”, Sana says with a laugh, “and I can’t ever be mad at you after what you just pulled. That was amazing, I think you made my whole year.”

“It’s not like you haven’t been saving my ass these past few weeks. Can you believe, my parents haven’t mentioned a husband in like over eight days? That’s a new record.”

“Oh wow, we’re making progress here, where are the medals?” They laugh quietly in the dark, accompanied by the sound of crunching leaves under their feet.

“No, but seriously,” Jihyo stops walking and turns to face Sana, her face far more serious now, “I know this whole thing has been a pain in the ass for you, but I’ve liked hanging out with you and stuff. I’m glad we’re friends.”

Sana is taken aback by the sudden candidness, but returns it anyway. “Me too, really. I think this whole thing has been the most fun I’ve had since I moved here. Actually, the most fun I’ve had in a really long while.” She adds after a pause.

“I’m glad,” Jihyo says, her warm smile accompanying her soft eyes as she looks at Sana. The path is illuminated by the moonlight of a clear sky, and the tree leaves look silver around them. Sana knows Jihyo has always been objectively pretty, but under the night sky she almost looks like she glows. Her gaze feels like it goes right through Sana, and maybe it’s how isolated they are, or maybe the euphoria that still courses through her veins, but Sana doesn’t look away. As she stares right back in silence, she’s almost sure the stars in the sky have all moved to Jihyo’s eyes. They seem to emit a light of their own. As Sana thinks this, she sees Jihyo move them down her face, and Sana does the same, feeling ridiculously like a character from Momo’s romcom tropes, as her eyes reach Jihyo’s cheeks, the bridge of her nose, her cupid’s bow, until she’s almost sure she knows what Jihyo is thinking as they stare at each other in the half-dark. 

She’s almost sure, until there’s some loud rustling behind them and one of the bonfire guests appears behind them in the path. She gives them both an oblivious smile as she holds a flashlight in her hand.

“Jihyo, is that you? Your father’s calling everyone back to the bonfire, he wants to make an announcement, before the s’more chefs get here.”

Jihyo pinches Sana as she snickers at the phrase _s’more chefs_. Sana makes a mental note to bring it up later to make fun of. 

As they walk back to the bonfire and get closer to the sound of the milling guests, Sana feels herself snap out of the weird reverie of the isolated woods, feeling something that’s dangerously close to butterflies thinking of where she was just a minute ago.

When they rejoin the dinner party, Mr. Park is standing near the fire, surrounded by everyone else in a a circle, the obligatory glass on champagne in his hand. Sana and Jihyo join the crowd as he begins speaking.

“Fellow associates, as you may well remember, I recently announced my official retirement from Park Publishing.” Sana immediately knows where this is going when she feels Jihyo’s hand clasp around her own in a vice grip. “Well, today, among a smaller group of friends, I would like to give, say, part two of that announcement.”

It seems like they’ll have two motives of celebration tonight, then, Sana thinks.

“I would like the next CEO of this company to follow up on the values we have established for decades, of a family-run business, headed by someone with wits and ambition to move towards constant improvement.” Sana can see Jihyo’s micro-nods from her peripheral vision, and squeezes her hand back with a grin.

“This is someone, who through contributions to the company with their own work over the past years, has shown me they have all these values and more.” Sana feels the electricity coursing through Jihyo’s body in their clasped hands. “Please welcome, the new CEO of Park Publishing, my son, Park Jinsun.”

A beat. The applause from the crowd breaks out. Sana’s heart drops. Then, she’s almost sure all the bones in her hand are broken from the squeeze, after a young man with an uncanny resemblance to Jihyo steps out from behind the crowd to greet them.

“Hey, sis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well i hope that wasn’t too terrible
> 
> i actually was _not_ planning for there to be so much plot in this story it just sort of happened. but i promise sahyo is still the center of the story theyre my babies
> 
> um as always let me know ur Thoughts, Comments, Concerns, or wtvr else<3

**Author's Note:**

> thank u so much for reading! ^-^
> 
> i love reading your thoughts n ideas so drop a comment if you want.


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